MITO Settembremusica 2019:
The “Geographies” of a successful edition
74,000 total attendance between host cities Milano and Torino, with 50 sold out concerts, and many others near sold out. These are the numbers for the 13th edition of the MITO SettembreMusica Music Festival, which ran September 3-19. 128 concerts in all, celebrating this year’s theme, “Geographies”. Transporting audiences on a journey to the four corners of the world, with music ideally setting the course. The 17-day celebration revealed places, traditions and languages that have left their marks on cultures across the globe, which generated a broad cross-section of heterogeneous interest and participation.
74,000 total attendance,
50 sold out concerts,
and many other performances near sold out.
“If MITO SettembreMusica has become one of the best-loved musical events internationally,” points out Milano mayor Giuseppe Sala, “it’s because over the years, the Festival has kept renewing itself, without ever losing its own identity. The success of the 2019 edition provides the clearest proof of how music and culture attract and unite people. Behind these results, there’s the immense work of the musicians and the Festival’s artistic direction, along with the generous support for the organization of the Festival provided by our partners and sponsors. Heartfelt thanks to everyone that made this year’s edition of MITO SettembreMusica possible. Special thanks go out to the audiences, for their passion and enthusiasm at every performance, in both host cities, Milano and Torino.”
“I’d like to thank the artistic direction MITO SettembreMusica for conceiving the 2019 edition, the musicians, and everyone that made possible the organization of the Festival,” says Torino mayor Chiara Appendino. “Thanks also go out to the loyal audiences, an ever-growing number in attendance. Realized thanks to the indispensable support of our sponsors and partners, the ranks of whom have grown for this year’s edition. Once again, MITO SettembreMusica proves to be a highlight on the music events calendar. MITO grew out of the original SettembreMusica Music Festival, which for 29 years was confined to Torino. After these past 13 years of collaboration with Milano, MITO is one of the most prestigious cultural events for both host cities, and by now has become a tradition.”
“This edition of MITO SettembreMusica shows how much the Festival has grown in notoriety and audience appreciation,” says MITO president Anna Gastel. “Palpable enthusiasm, attentive and satisfied spectators sharing concert info at the end of the show, packed concert halls and churches. The makeup of the audiences was varied. They included lots of young people. Following the itineraries of MITO “Geographies” with curiosity and interest, moving about within the vast perimeter of the metropolitan city, on a discovery of theaters and new venue locations. Thanks to everyone – organizers, artists, sponsors and volunteers – who worked for this success!”
“In order for the magic to click at a concert, you need generous, creative, passionate artists up on stage,” concludes artistic director Nicola Campogrande. “But they need to be playing for a congenial audience that’s there to authentically listen. That’s what happened this year at MITO SettembreMusica. Inside the venues you had the impression of belonging to a giant, warm community of citizens and visitors, determined to enjoy classical music, their curiosity drawn by new discoveries day after day. Behind the scenes, after the concerts, hundreds of musicians shared their joy, glad to have been able to play and sing for crowds so large, attentive, vibrant, enthusiastic.”
Italy’s Rai5 presents a Rai Cultura television premiere: A documentary on the 13th edition of MITO SettembreMusica. It airs Saturday, September 28, 11:15 pm
Among the most successful performances this year: the concerts featuring Martha Argerich, with Zubin Mehta conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ion Marin; Alexander Romanovsky and Myung-Whun Chung with La Scala Philharmonic; Marin Alsop conducting the Teatro Regio Orchestra of Torino; John Axelrod and the Rai National Symphony Orchestra, featuring soloists Tine Thing Helseth and Rachel Harnisch; Third Coast Percussion, performing the European premiere of Perpetulum by Philip Glass, co-commissioned by MITO SettembreMusica. Lest we forget the Choir Day invasion and the sing-along event enjoyed by even more people this year, MITO Open Singing.
Highlights of the 13th edition of MITO SettembreMusica will be featured in a documentary by Barbara Pozzoni, produced by Rai Cultura, entitled MITO 2019: The Geographies of Music. Premiere TV broadcast on Italy’s Rai5, airing Saturday, September 28, at 11:15 pm. We look forward to bringing you next year’s Festival, the 14th edition of MITO SettembreMusica, slated for September 3 – 21, 2020.
